Free punch list template
A punch list is the list of things still to finish or fix before a job is closed out — written at the final walkthrough, worked through, then signed off so the last invoice can go out. Fill one in here on your phone and send it as a PDF or a link. Free, with no account.
What goes on a punch list
- Your business name and contact details, and the customer’s name.
- The project — the address and the job — in “Project”, so the list cannot be mistaken for another job’s.
- A number of its own (this one starts at PL-101).
- The walkthrough date: the day the list was agreed.
- One line per item, with where it is — “touch up paint, hall ceiling by the stairs”, not “paint”. Vague items are how a punch list never closes.
- A value against an item where it helps, and none where it does not. Nothing is taxed and nothing is discounted on a punch list.
- A box per item, ticked when it is done.
- A sign-off line for the customer and one for you, dated, for when the last box is ticked.
A worked example
The garage addition again, at the final walkthrough. Most of the list is small stuff with no price on it; two items are worth enough that the customer wants them valued.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Touch up paint on door trim, north wall | — |
| Replace cracked outlet cover by the workbench | — |
| Adjust overhead door so it closes flush | $150.00 |
| Caulk gap at slab and sill plate, east side | — |
| Final cleanup and haul-away of offcuts | $250.00 |
| Value of open items | $400.00 |
Unpriced items print with a box and nothing else, so a plain list stays a plain list. The two values are illustrative — use whatever you and the customer agree each item is worth, or leave them all at $0.
Punch list or work order?
A punch list
Comes at the end. It is written at the walkthrough, lists only what is unfinished or not right yet, and exists to be closed: every item ticked, both sides signed.
A work order
Comes at the start. It says what work is to be done, where and when, and is signed off when the job is finished. A punch list is often the last thing standing between that sign-off and the final invoice.
If the customer adds something new at the walkthrough — a shelf that was never in the job — it does not belong on the punch list. That is a change order, priced and signed on its own.
Punch lists and the final payment
On most jobs the punch list is what the last payment waits on. Many contracts say the final payment, and the release of any retainage, is due once the punch list is complete, and owners commonly hold back an amount against the open items until then. Putting a value against each item is how both sides agree what that amount is.
How much can be held back, and for how long, is set by your contract and in some states limited by prompt-payment law. Check the contract and your state’s rules rather than assuming; this page is not legal advice.
How to send it
Write it at the walkthrough, with the customer, and send it before you leave — by text, WhatsApp or email, or as a link they open in any browser. A list both of you saw being written is a list nobody adds to later.
When the last item is finished, “Mark done” in My papers closes it. Then send the final invoice, which can name the punch list number it followed.
What you get
A PDF you can download, print or attach, and a link the customer can open on any phone. There is no Word or Excel version — PDF only, for now. The six looks and your logo or initials work on this paper exactly as they do on an invoice; see the looks.
Questions about punch lists
What is a punch list in construction?
The list of work that is unfinished or not up to the contract at the end of a job — paint touch-ups, a missing cover plate, a door that sticks. It is written at the final walkthrough and worked through before the job is closed out and the last payment is made.
Who writes the punch list?
On a commercial job it is usually the architect, owner or general contractor at a formal walkthrough. On a residential job it is most often the contractor and the homeowner walking the house together, which is what this paper is built for.
Should items on a punch list have prices?
Only where it helps. A value against an item says what it is worth if the owner holds money back for it, or if somebody else ends up finishing it. Small cosmetic items usually go unpriced. This paper takes either, and a list with no prices prints without a money column at all.
When is a punch list finished?
When every item is done and both sides have signed it off. Get the signature on the list rather than a verbal “looks good” — it is what shows the job was accepted, and it is usually what the final invoice is waiting for.
More on how JobPaperwork works, including what it stores and what it does not do.